EMPTY CHAIRS AT HOGWARTS AND ELSEWHERE
by jaffa kree
Summary: Logan reflects on past losses while Hogwarts is under seige by the Death Eaters


EMPTY CHAIRS AT EMPTY TABLES HERE AND THE OTHER SIDE

_There is a grief that can't be spoken_

_There's a pain that goes on and on_

_Empty chairs at empty tables_

_Now my friends are dead and gone._

Logan sat on Bron's right shoulder in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. His younger brother Harry sat at the end of the long bench that sat along one of the long tables. Although they had many wounded and dead rolling in from outside, the Great Hall was still empty of all except the wounded that were still able to fight. Logan had made sure that all those who could were ready at a moment's notice to repel an attack by the Death Eaters who had been laying siege to the great castle-school.

It had been just over a week since the siege began. While their forces, rations, munitions and the like still stayed strong, the overall morale had started to slowly decline. It was the longest that any of the students, teachers, 'civilians', staff of the castle and even some of the veterans had gone without some relief.

Tonks and Remus had just been killed that mourning when the Death Eaters had attacked while the defenders had attempted to bring in some of the dead out on the grounds. It brought to Logan's ancient mind the pain of losses long past and not so long past.

These deaths were not just indivuals. It included his 'brothers' and 'sisters' of the different organizations he had belonged to. His mind recalled them as easily as if they had been beside him at that very moment.

_Here they sang of revolution_

_Here it is they lit the flame_

_Here they sang about tomorrow_

_And tomorrow never came._

Logan gazed across the ruins of Ostagar. It had been almost a month since he and his companions had fled from the sight of the battle. Bodies and debris still littered the area. Blood was still visible in some places. And the stench of rotting bodies assailed the group as they picked through the battlefield.

Slowly they came up onto the bridge where a great number of the archers had fought during the terrible battle. And halfway across the bridge, propped up with pikes and spears, was the king, Logan's oldest son Cailen.

Logan ran right up to the morbid alter to the darkspawn's victory. His eyes fixed and filling with tears, the hybrid fell to his knees. From his mouth came a scream of pain that only a father who has lost his son can make. The sound echoed off and around the ruins. It lasted almost three full minutes before his lung's lack of air made it die in his throat.

The rest of his party came up behind him. His second son Alistair put his hand on the gargoyle's shoulder and silently mourned his brother's passing. The others looked on with sympathy from Leliana, Ohgren, Wynne, the young Cousland and Aeducan. Indifference from Sten and Shale.

"My son." Logan sobbed. "I am so sorry. I have failed to protect you in life. But I swear that I shall avenge you in death. My poor son."

"Father." Alistair said. "He died the type of noble death he had hoped for. The death of a warrior king protecting his people from evil. The kind of death that will land his name in the tales…"

"What would you know of it?!" Logan spat at his son through sobs. "Nothing! You know nothing! He is dead and it is because I could not protect him. Because I wanted to join the Grey Wardens."

Alistair stepped back from the rocking, sobbing form of his father. He couldn't help feeling pity for the normally strong and unwavering warrior who had never backed away from doing what was right and good. He also felt sadness for the loss of his brother. But he could not fight the feeling of jealousy that he felt towards the elder of his father's sons.

_**Would he mourn me like this if something happened to me? Or does he not care?**_

So he fled from his father's side to the camp they had made a good ways from the ruins.

"Help me bring my son down." He ordered the others.

They all came up as Logan did his best to grab Cailen's body to avoid letting it hit the ground. Some of the others each grabbed a spear or pike and as gently as possible removed it from the young man's body and cast them aside. The rest helped Logan to keep the body from falling.

_From the table in the corner_

_They could see a world reborn_

_And they rose with voices ringing_

_I can hear them now!_

_The very words that they had sung_

_Became their last communion_

_On the lonely barricades at dawn_

Galbitorix's forces hit the barricade that the defenders had built. The Foresworn were down to two. This had been the third rebellion in as many decades. But with the traitorous Riders and their accursed dragons in combination with the human forces had all but destroyed what remained of this rebellion.

The defenders were the very last of those who had allied themselves with and served the Riders that Gabletorix and the Forsworn had betrayed. Amongst the ranks of the defenders Logan fought valiantly. Barking orders at the defenders, as he loosed arrow after arrow into the attackers.

They had formed a small community in the south east of Alagaisia. To the east were the plains that extended north to the Hadarac Desert and east to the Beor Mountains.

"Hold them off damn you!" He shouted as the men under his command started to feel overwhelmed. "Don't let them by! If they get past us then they will murder your families before torturing you to death. For the DRAGON RIDERS!"

With that he ran out of arrows. So he drew his Rider sword Burzal. He stood as the palisade came crashing down under the weight of the attackers. With Logan fifteen others had drawn their swords in preparation for close up combat. Five other groups of roughly the same size as his stood along the crashing palisade.

With a roar Logan launched himself into the midst of those who sided with his now sworn enemy. Swinging his sword he smote many an enemy. But more kept coming. Ten attackers came for every one that he killed.

Little by little the defenders were pushed back. Those who had not drawn their swords had fallen back up the road and were sending scores of arrows into the enemy ranks behind where the hand to hand combat was happening, hoping furtively to build a small wall with the bodies of fallen enemies and arrows.

Logan could tell from past experience that the battle was going to be lost. Although he hated the idea, he decided upon the best course of action. He pulled one of his lieutenants to him.

"Gather what warriors you can from the fortress, the women and the children and make for the Beor Mountains." He ordered. "We will hold them off as long as we can. Go now."

Without the slightest question the man ran to obey his commander. They had all been through too much not to trust each other. Barely a half hour passed before the women and children accompanied by a small number of warriors had gotten out.

After that battle, the Varden rose. Beside it was the famed Lonely Warriors that had survived the battle. Allies the two factions were, the Lonely Warriors did not desire to take the place of government as the Varden wanted.

It was that reason that caused them, at Logan's request that they left their country after the fall of the empire. They went with Eragon and his dragon Saphira. To help what their ancestors had done. Serve the Dragon Riders in the rebuilding of their order.

Logan's heart still hurt for his lost friends.

_Oh my friends my friends forgive me_

_That I live and you are gone_

_There's a grief that can't be spoken_

_There's a pain that goes on and on_

Logan arrived at the rendezvous point that he, Obi-Wan and Yoda had agreed upon. It was most likely that this would be their last meeting in this life. The rest of the Jedi Order had fallen.

"No choice, there is." Yoda told his apprentices. "We must go into hiding. Wait for a time when the Jedi may rise again."

Nothing else needed to be said so they went their separate ways. Each with sorrow in their hearts and the future heavy on their minds.

_Phantom faces at the window_

_Phantom shadows on the floor_

_Empty chairs at empty tables_

_Where my friends will sing no more_

These memories flashed through his mind as Logan sat on Bron's shoulder in Hogwarts. Death and sorrow seams to follow him everywhere he goes.

"How do you deal with this?" Harry asked his older brother. "With all this death and misery?"

"I try to make sure that all this death and misery does not go in vain." Logan told him.


End file.
